Gucci’s show, for example, was particularly anticipated following the departure of Alessandro Michele in November.
And for this first collection orchestrated by the design studio, the luxury brand opted for an unexpected minimalism, with a classic and timeless wardrobe.
This was, in fact, a strong trend that ran through almost all the shows of this Milan menswear week.
Two standout pieces: the long coat and the suit
To mark this return to an elegant, timeless and casual wardrobe, luxury fashion houses have brought back to the forefront two key pieces of the men’s wardrobe that have been somewhat neglected in recent years: the long coat and the suit.
The height of elegance, the former is landing in neutral and subdued shades, as at Dolce & Gabbana, which sometimes opts for satin or furry linings, or geometric patterns, as at Etro, or even in the form of large capes for a dandy chic look.
After virtually disappearing from sight since the first Covid lockdown, the suit is making a comeback, either in its most classic form, or with looser, much more casual cuts.
The trend was notably spotted on the catwalks of Ermenegildo Zegna and Gucci. This return to a timeless style has not prevented several houses from embracing pieces inspired by women’s wardrobes, including crop tops, fishnet tops and skirts.
Colour of choice: black
In Milan, elegance was not only a question of cuts or styles. The colours chosen by the world’s most renowned designers were also synonymous with a timeless, chic kind of fashion.
Black was particularly present, especially at Dolce & Gabbana – which is unusual – but also at Giorgio Armani, Prada, and, to a lesser extent, Fendi.
Khaki, browns, greys and some beige shades completed this muted and timeless palette, which is more in line with the times than encouraging a fun or eccentric wardrobe.
Key print: slogans and messages
Patterns were not especially abundant in Milan, which favoured, as we have seen, more muted and neutral colours rather than lively or eccentric prints.
Nevertheless, some designers, like MSGM, Simon Cracker and Charles Jeffrey Loverboy, peppered their fall-winter 2022-2023 collections with slogans and messages, from the trivial to the more patriotic, expressing a form of resistance or simply going offbeat.
This is notably the case at MSGM, which presented T-shirts with the slogan, “I Love MSGM.”
There was a different vibe at Etro, which gave pride of place to geometric patterns, with stripes, diamonds and checks, running through the entire collection.
One to watch: asymmetrical cuts
Rest assured, this ode to the classics of the menswear wardrobe was marked by an unexpected trend, which could well top the list of inspirations to take away from this men’s fashion week.
The house of Fendi stood out by shaking up (a little) the codes of this timeless wardrobe, with asymmetrical clothes spotted here and there. An inspiration, once again, more commonly seen in womenswear wardrobes.
Tops, capes and even some shirts adopted these original cuts, livening up the Milan catwalks. Note that Dolce & Gabbana also featured an asymmetrical crop top in its collection, making this inspiration a strong trend of Italian menswear week.